The Guimet Museum in Paris has unveiled a breathtaking installation featuring nearly 1,000 Polaroid photographs by controversial Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, following an extraordinary donation from a passionate collector. The dizzying display is housed in the heart of the museum's rotunda, creating a spectacular visual experience that showcases the work of the provocative artist born in 1940.

The story behind this remarkable exhibition reads like fiction. One day, the Guimet Museum staff received an unexpected email from a man named Stéphane André, who expressed his desire to donate his entire collection to the museum. Initially appearing too good to be true, the proposal seemed like it could be an elaborate hoax.

However, after thorough verification, the museum discovered that André's offer was completely genuine. This French and philosophy teacher had spent more than two decades, starting in the early 2000s, acquiring nearly a thousand Polaroid photographs by the sulfurous Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. The collection represented a true treasure trove that André had literally used to wallpaper the walls of his Parisian apartment.

The installation at the Guimet Museum presents these photographs in a sprawling, abundant display that creates a vertiginous effect for visitors. The sheer volume of Araki's Polaroids, spanning from 1990 to 2024, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the prolific output of one of Japan's most controversial contemporary artists. The exhibition demonstrates the dedication of a collector whose passion for Araki's work transformed his living space into a private gallery.

This extraordinary donation represents one of the most significant acquisitions of Araki's work by a French institution, highlighting the global appreciation for Japanese contemporary photography and the important role that private collectors play in preserving and sharing artistic heritage.